Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-11-18

AN INTERESTING TEST WHICH WAS MADE
TUESDAY ON CONNECTICUT RIVER CAR
PASSING THROUGH BRATTLEBoRo
The Springfield Republican Of Wednes
day gave an interesting account of an ex.
pertinent which was made Tuesday with
the Emerson system Of steam heating for
railroad cars. The test was made on a car
which was attached TO the mail going north
at 1890 a. NJ, and which returned on the
D p. NJ New York and Montreal express
Mr.. Einerson's system has been in practi
cal use on Connecticut River local trains
running in and out of Springfield for two
seasons past. He uses steam direct from
the locomotive when the train is in motion
and the only problem has been as 10 how
the cars shall be heated when standing still
or in case Of accident 10 the engine when
on the road This the inventor thinks he
has solved by putting small strong and
peculiarly shaped boiler under each car, in
which very small quantity Of fuel raises
heat enough to make the car comfortable
in the coolest weather. The essential part
Of the Republicans account of Tuesday,
experiment is the following, and it will be-
seen that the Central Vermont officials and
our Vermont board Of railroad commission
ers were given the benefit of all that could
be learned from the test
THE Central Vermont road people have l.-.r,
slow 70 adopt any system u steam heating but
have been experimenting with several their de-
lay has blocked the us. Of TIN. Emerson system
on the Connecticut River road for the cars of th,.
Central road, which enter this city, could not h..
piped So car . OF the River road was fitted with
the boiler underneath and an invitation was sent
to the vermont railroad commissioners 10 tnp.t
me car with Assistant Superintendent Ray W the
River road and Mr.. Emerson at Bellows Falls y,s
terday, aud see for themselves how the scheme.
works The car was attached to the mail train
leaving TINS city at O'Clock Yesterday tiOrting
the fire vas built IN the box about half hour
before the start and no attachment whatever for
heating was made 10 the locomotive. when the
train started the temperature IA the car register.
eel 80 degrees and there the mercury stood ill
Greenfield was reached shovelful N coal was
placed M the flrrboX at that place but it was
hardly needed. for the Temperature. was Of trpt,i
cal nature. that suggested tall paln-tr-,.s crct.o
diles and heathens with little clothing At Brat
tleboro the directors car Of the Central Vermont
railroad happened TO be at the station and *.
dov. Gregory smith, president Of the Central
road, and Director j. " Hobart wpr,. invited IN
10 car @. After they had looked at the therInom.
tter, then at the steam gauge and under the seats
Tor the stove, they made many inquiries about
the arrangement, and Gov Smith said that while
he thought the system might work most 81 Inc
time, he doubted II IL would b.. sufficient when a
train was stalled IN a drift 10 feet deep such as
would le met with on his road, for then the fir.
could not be- reached But Mr.. Emerson was con
hdrAt thht MS system would even survive this
crucial test and offered to fit Up two Of the cen
tral cars 50 that the test could be made He
would do this when he returned. January 1 after
a business trip to the Atchinson Topeka and san
Ia Re railroad. Gov. Smith said he would think
81 Tue proposition. nut a. he returned to his car
u" made the Important admission that IN his ubin
ion the deadly car stove Is bound to 20
At Bellows Falls the Vermont railroad cuin.
inissi1nrfS consisting Of ex-Gov. Samuel Pingr.e
Col. l. { Fletcher aud Henry l.. Clark with their
secretary. Alfred + Watson. were taken aboard
Ih-Se guests rode as far as White River Junction
and werr deeply interest q in the system in1uir
a ~
SUIT. They frequently spoke Of the pleasant tenn
peiature Of the car ia comparison with that OF the
stove heated ears in which they had come dow
| we road. Gov Pingree stated that he thought
the Emerson system should h. given a trini 'by
the central company before they adopted any
The railroad commissioners left the car Al Whit.
River Junction and It vas attached to the .xpr,.ss
which arrives in this cit ~ 6.l5 O'Clock In th.
evening Ih- merits II the system can h. l..st
sen by the record Of the trip, which was ~ ful
lows; Distance travelled 24s miles. amount If
coll USED. j. pounds; temperature IN the car 10
! I9 81 lrsrts pounds Of steam applied, to ~
Ihe small amount " coal used aud the even TEN
pcrature Is especially to he noted "
The Connecticut River company is doing
commendable thing in trying to further
the invention aud adoption of some safe
anu practicable means of steam heating.
and 1t Is to be hoped that our Vermont rail
road commissioners got from this expert
ment the material for that recommendation
on this subject which they promised last
winter in their report on the Hartford dis
aster.
The announcement also comes from
Springfield that A. b. Harris vice.presi
dent OF the Connecticut River company
and president of the Vermont Valley. is ex-
perimenting successfully with hot water
SYSTEM OF car heating, the hot water com
ing from the locomotive. His idea is
modification or extension of the Baker car
heater now IN very general use